No Gingerbread?
by Alcandre
Summary: Piper is alone one night when she gets a small,unexpected visitor.


Okay, this is a story based of a Dolly Parton song named "Me and little Andy." I don't own the song or Charmed. I also don't own "Heart of Darkness" even if I have read it and analyzed the crap out of it! Anyway, read and review.  
  
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Piper sighed as she flipped open "Heart of Darkness." She wasn't really excited about reading it but it was the only thing she could find. It had been in the attic in a box of Prue's old high school books. Piper remembered Prue complaining about having to read it but Piper had never been forced to. So, to ease her boredom, Piper pulled out the novel and settled in the conservatory to read.  
  
It was cold and stormy outside and both Prue and Phoebe were on dates. Piper was alone in the Manor and the rain and lightening were shaking her up just a little. She didn't want to turn on the TV in fear of it getting hit, so she tried to read. But within the first few pages she was bored. The book was good, for what it was about, but it just didn't help her forget the storm.  
  
A soft barking just outside the Manor caused her to look up. "What the-" she muttered, closing the book. A dog out in this storm? And then a small, soft knock sounded on the door. Piper raised an eyebrow as she got up and walked to the door. Who would be outside in such an awful storm? And when she opened the door she saw a little girl with a puppy in her arms.  
  
The girl couldn't have been more than six or seven. And she was soaked to the skin, her small ragged dress providing no protection against the storm.  
  
Before Piper could say a word the little girl spoke up. "My name is Sandy and this here is my puppy dog. His name is Little Andy."  
  
Piper felt her heart break at the girl's innocent face and her deep southern accent just added to the heart breaking scene. "Oh, honey," Piper whispered. "Why don't you come inside?"  
  
Sandy nodded and gave Piper a smile as she walked in, not letting Little Andy down.  
  
"Let me get you some towels and something else to wear," Piper said. "You stay right here, okay?"  
  
Piper found a long t-shirt that she used to wear as a sleep shirt. Glancing at it, she decided it would work for now; even if it did swamp the poor girl.  
  
"Alright, Sandy," Piper said as she came back downstairs. "Let's dry you off."  
  
Sandy finally put the puppy down and looked at Piper with wide eyes. "Ain't cha got no gingerbread? Ain't cha got no candy?"  
  
Piper gave a soft smile and picked up the small girl and carried her to the kitchen with Little Andy not far behind. "We have plenty to eat, honey. But we don't have any gingerbread. How about some soup?"  
  
Sandy nodded. "Okay, thank you. And can Little Andy have something?"  
  
"Of course," Piper whispered.  
  
As the soup heated up, Sandy got up from her chair at the table and padded over to Piper, who was standing at the stove. "Ain't cha got an extra bed for me and Little Andy?"  
  
Piper looked down at the damp blonde haired girl. Sandy was holding Little Andy like a baby and the puppy was looking up at Piper with wide brown eyes.  
  
Sandy looked down at her puppy and softly sang to him. "Patty cake and baker's man," then she stopped and looked back up at Piper. "My mommy ran away again. And we was all alone and didn't know what else to do. I wondered if you'd let us stay with you."  
  
Again Piper felt her heart break. Her mother had run away? And left this poor girl? The young woman pulled the girl into a hug, feeling Sandy shiver violently from the cold and the small chocolate lab lick her cheek and then whine.  
  
Sandy pulled back and looked down at her dog and sang again, "Giddy up, Charlie Horse. Goin' to the mill," then she glanced back at Piper. "Can we stay all night? If you don't love us, no one will. I promise we won't cry."  
  
Piper stood up and dipped some soup into a bowl for Sandy and then just a little for the puppy. "You can stay as long as you need to, Sandy. And I will love you."  
  
Sandy smiled at Piper then glanced back down at her dog. "London Bridge's falling down," she sang softly as she sat Little Andy on the floor in front of the bowl. As she walked back to the table with her bowl she said, "My daddy's drunk again in town. And we was all alone and didn't know what we could do. I'm glad you'll let us stay with you."  
  
Piper watched the little girl eat with a heavy heart. This poor, sweet girl was all alone in the world with just a small puppy dog as company. That was when Piper decided that the next morning she would talk to her sisters about all of this. Sandy couldn't stay at her own house. No one was ever there from what she had said. And Piper knew that this girl deserved much more than that.  
  
The next morning, Piper went into the guest room to wake Sandy. The small girl had begged her to let Little Andy sleep with her and Piper finally caved in. The girl needed someone to hug.  
  
Anyway, when Piper looked at Sandy's form on the bed she gasped. Sandy wasn't sleeping. She was way too still to be sleeping. Piper quickly shook the young girl, hoping to wake her but to no avail. Sandy was dead. And so was Little Andy. They had both died during the night.  
  
Piper chocked back a sob. They were probably both up in heaven with the angels. Sniffing Piper took the girl's limp hand. And God knew Little Andy would be lonesome with Sandy gone. Now they will never be alone again.  
  
And years later, after she was married, after Prue had died and Paige had arrived, Piper can still hear little Sandy's voice during a stormy night.  
  
"Ain't cha got no gingerbread? Ain't cha got no candy? Ain't cha got an extra bed for me and Little Andy?"  
  
The End  
  
Most of what Sandy says is directly from the song. Dolly Parton just did it so well in the song I had to use it. Sad story, ne? Seriously, the song is even worse! I cried the first time I heard it! Thanks for reading!!! 


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